Trying to eat healthy can often feel like an exercise in futility. What vegetables give me which nutrients? Are carbs good or bad? How much should I be eating? Do I need to count calories? Are any of these 14 diets I just read about in the past 14 minutes worth trying?

What happened to the sage advice of yesteryear to simply eat a balance of foods in moderate portions and get some exercise? We often get so tangled up in the nitty-gritty of exactly what and what not to eat that it makes our lives more difficult than necessary, and we feel defeated when it comes to healthy living. But it needn’t be so complicated.

What Are Pulses?

The United Nations has declared 2016 the year of pulses, which is much less complicated than it seems when you realize that pulses include many of the foods you’re already familiar with, including peas, lentils, chickpeas, beans, and broad beans. You’re probably less familiar with others, such as cowpeas, bambara beans, pigeon peas, lupins, and vetches.

Pulses are simply the edible seeds of plants in the legume family. They grow in pods; come in a range of shapes, sizes, and colors; and are harvested dry.

Approximately 170 different countries grow and export pulses. You’re likely more familiar with the pulses grown in North America. These include beans, lentils, peas, and chickpeas. However, pulses are grown on five continents: North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. This makes them an important food group no matter where you live.

The Bigger Health Picture of Pulses

We should be eating more pulses in 2016 for three simple reasons: they’re sustainable, efficient, and nutritious. This approach to healthy living is so refreshing because it isn’t just all about you. It looks at the world as a dynamic health ecosystem.

What’s good for the planet and for people who live half a world away is good for you too. There’s no point in pursuing an esoteric diet if your eating habits are leading to the destruction of the essential crops needed to support that diet. You’ll be worse off when your diet food runs out, crop farmers will be worse off when they lose their livelihoods, and the planet will be worse off for losing the resources needed to feed a global population.

Why Pulses Are Good for You

Pulses are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and many essential nutrients.

Because protein and fiber can help you feel fuller longer, pulses can help with weight management. Due to their low levels of saturated and trans fats, they’re also good for your heart. As a complex carbohydrate, they also help keep blood sugar levels in check, helping you reduce the risk of or manage diabetes. Their high fiber and low fat content as well as the antioxidant vitamins they contain are even thought to help mitigate the risk of cancer.

Pulses are a valuable alternative for those who suffer from Celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

Why Pulses Are Good for the Planet

Pulses have a low carbon footprint. Amazingly, they actually pull nitrogen from the air to create their own type of fertilizer, so they don’t need the nitrogen fertilizers common to many crop productions. While most of the greenhouse gas emissions from crop production come from nitrogen fertilizer, pulses actually take nitrogen out of the air. The nitrogen-rich residue they leave behind enriches the soil for the next crop that’s planted.

Pulses are also very water efficient, partly because some of them adapt very well to dry conditions; peas and lentils in particular don’t drain the deeper soil of its water, allowing successful crop rotation.

Pulses also provide robust nutrition and income for farmers worldwide, ensuring that they can continue producing in the future.

Here are three healthy, delicious pulse recipes you can make for your family tonight!

Instructions

1. Make the lentil bean filling. Splash the canola oil into a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions, garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Sauté for 3 or 4 minutes, until the vegetables soften and the spice flavors brighten. Stir in the lentils, beans, water, and salt. Bring the mixture to a slow, steady simmer. Cover tightly and continue slowly cooking for approximately 35 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Stir in the hot sauce.

2. Assemble the tacos. Place a full leaf of lettuce into a hard taco shell. This will hold the fillings in when the hard shell inevitably breaks. Fill each taco with a heaping spoonful of the lentil bean filling. Pack with cheese, salsa, and cilantro. Serve with the lime wedges and share!

Instructions

1. Set a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Heat for 20 seconds, and then stir in the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, until soft. Stir in the ground beef, oregano, fennel seeds, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the red wine, turn the heat to high, and let the wine reduce for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the lentils and canned tomatoes, cover, and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, partially remove the lid, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir in the chopped basil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over pappardelle pasta ribbons or linguine.

Instructions

2. Combine the cinnamon, cloves, ginger, baking soda, and flours. Add to wet ingredients about one half at a time. Mix thoroughly after each addition.

3. Place sugar in a shallow dish. Roll dough into 1/2-inch (1 cm) balls, roll each ball in the white sugar, and then place balls 2 inches (5 cm) apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. The dough will spread while cooking. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes. Cool on a baking rack and store in a sealed container. These cookies freeze well.

Cook’s Note: To make your own split pea or chickpea flour, grind dry split peas or chickpeas in a spice grinder or flour mill until a fine powder is formed. Use a fine sieve to sift out any larger particles.

Whether you’ve been eating pulses your whole life, or just starting out and looking for a recipe, pulses are definitely a food that you should be eating!

Receive Yardfarmers updates!

Instagram Feed

SPONSORS WANTED!

This year we'll be producing several short videos on yardfarming. If you are interested in supporting the project and drawing attention to your useful (and sustainable) product or service, send us a note at yardfarmers (at) yardfarmers.us.